ICC Intercontinental Cup

ICC Intercontinental Cup
Administrator International Cricket Council
Format First-class cricket
First tournament 2004
Tournament format Round-robin and Knockout
Number of teams Varies
(Highest 14)
(Recently 8)
Current champion  Ireland
Most successful  Ireland (4 titles)
Most runs Kenya Steve Tikolo (1,918)[1]
Most wickets Ireland Trent Johnston (81)[2]
2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup
2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship

The ICC Intercontinental Cup is a cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council as part of its cricket development programme. It is designed to allow Associate Members of the ICC the chance to play first-class cricket matches against teams of similar skill in a competition environment and prepare them for eventual promotion to Test cricket status.

Tournament history

2004 ICC Intercontinental Cup

The inaugural ICC Intercontinental Cup was completed on 22 November 2004 when Scotland won the title in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.[3] Scotland beat Canada by an innings and 84 runs in the final. The competition included 12 teams, divided by geographical region into four groups of three. Each team played the other two teams in its group once each. The top team in each group then progresses to the semi-finals, and the winners of those to the final. In order to encourage competitive play and avoid deadlocks, a point system including bonus points was used.

2005 ICC Intercontinental Cup

The tournament was played for the second time in 2005.

Hong Kong came in to replace Malaysia, and the Cayman Islands replaced the United States who were ejected from the competition by the ICC because of then ongoing political problems within cricket in the US.[4] The points system was also modified so that teams could score unlimited batting points in the first innings and a maximum of 4 points in the second innings.

The tournament was won by Ireland who defeated Kenya in the final.[5]

2006–2007 ICC Intercontinental Cup

The tournament was cut from 12 to eight teams, with Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands and Uganda losing the right to participate, while Namibia knocked out Nepal in a play off for the eighth place. The match length was extended from three to four days, and each team was scheduled to play at least three matches. The teams were divided into two groups of four, with each team playing the other once and the top two teams qualifying for the final, and the points system has also been changed: 14 points are now awarded for a win, and six for a first-innings lead. Due to preparations for the 2007 World Cup and the longer tournament, the final was played in May 2007, where Ireland defeated Canada to defend their title.

2007–2008 ICC Intercontinental Cup

The 2007–08 tournament was played as a single round-robin league of eight teams, so that each team played seven matches.[6] The teams ranked first and second at the end of the pool stage contested the final.

Namibia finished on top at the pool stage, but lost the final against second placed Ireland in late October in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Ireland thus completed a hat-trick of Intercontinental Cup victories, having been undefeated in the competition, and having won three consecutive make-or-break away fixtures in Africa (against Namibia, Kenya and Namibia again) to clinch the title.

2009–10 ICC Intercontinental Cup

The 2009–10 tournament was expanded to two divisions and 11 teams.[7] Ireland, the Netherlands, Scotland, Canada, Kenya, and Afghanistan played in the top division, joined by Zimbabwe A. Meanwhile, United Arab Emirates, Namibia, Bermuda and Uganda played in the Intercontinental Shield. Afghanistan won their first title, beating Scotland in the final.

2011–13 ICC Intercontinental Cup

In December 2010, the ICC announced that the 2011–13 tournament would revert to the 8 team, single division format of the 2007–08 season and that the Intercontinental Shield would be scrapped. The sixth staging of the Cup ran from June 2011 to October 2013. and included the top six associate and affiliate teams with One Day International status (ICC World Cricket League Division 1); Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands and Scotland. The remaining two places were allotted to UAE and Namibia who finished in the top two of the ICC Intercontinental Shield and ICC World Cricket League Division 2.[8] Later the ICC Development Committee decided to select the 3rd and 4th placed teams from the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (Bermuda and Uganda) and two qualifiers to proceed from WCL Division 3 (Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea) bringing the total to 12 teams.[9] A 50-over tournament was run alongside the re-expanded Intercontinental Cup.[8]

The final of the 2011-13 competition was held in December 2013 between Ireland and Afghanistan, with Ireland winning their 4th Intercontinental Cup title.

2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup

In the wake of changes announced by ICC following its revamp in January 2014 when India Australia and England Cricket Boards gained more control it was declared that the next winner of the Intercontinental Cup would get an opportunity to play 4 tests (2 home and 2 away) against the bottom ranked test nation and if the associate nation wins that series they would then gain Test status until the next Intercontinental Cup.[10]

Team records

Overall Record
Year Winner Runner-Up
2004  Scotland  Canada
2005  Ireland  Kenya
2006–07  Ireland  Canada
2007–08  Ireland  Namibia
2009–10  Afghanistan  Scotland
2011–13  Ireland  Afghanistan
2015–17 TBA TBA

Teams' performances

An overview of the teams' performances in every Intercontinental Cup:

Team 2004 2005 2006–07 2007–08 2009–10 2011–13 2015–17
 Afghanistan DNC DNC DNC DNC W RU
 Bermuda GS SF GS 8th 11th DNC DNC
 Canada RU GS RU 7th 7th 6th DNC
 Cayman Islands DNC GS DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC
 Hong Kong DNC GS DNC DNC DNC DNC
 Ireland GS W W RU 4th W
 Kenya SF RU GS 3rd 5th 7th DNC
 Malaysia GS DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC
 Namibia GS GS GS W 8th 5th
 Netherlands GS GS GS 5th 6th 8th
   Nepal GS GS PO DNC DNC DNC DNC
 Papua New Guinea DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC
 Scotland W GS GS 4th RU 3rd
 Uganda GS GS DNC DNC 10th DNC DNC
 United Arab Emirates SF SF GS 6th 9th 4th
 United States GS DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC DNC
 Zimbabwe XI DNC DNC DNC DNC 3rd DNC DNC

All time table

The 2006 challenge match between Namibia and Nepal, the abandoned match between Scotland and Kenya in 2008 as well as the forfeited match between Zimbabwe and Scotland in 2010 are not included. Complete up to the 2013 final.[11]

Team TP TW M W L D Win%
 Ireland 64322021078.1%
 Scotland 61281161158.9%
 Kenya 6 30913838.9%
 Netherlands 6 28415916.0%
 Canada 6 29617631.0%
 Namibia 5 23118456.5%
 United Arab Emirates 5 2359941.3%
 Bermuda 4 1538433.3%
   Nepal 2 420275.0%
 Uganda 2 413025.0%
 Afghanistan 2115111383.3%
 Zimbabwe XI 1 530280.0%
 United States 1 211050.0%
 Hong Kong 1 201125.0%
 Malaysia 1 20200.0%
 Cayman Islands 1 20200.0%

Key: TP/TW=Tournaments participated/won, M=Matches played, W/L/D=wins/losses/draws, Win%=percentage of games won, a draw counts as half of a win.

Intercontinental Shield Record
Year Winner Runner-Up
2009–10  Namibia  United Arab Emirates

In 2009 a second competition, the Intercontinental Shield, was introduced for the four teams placing 7th through 10th in the 2009 World Cup Qualifier. The matches are also first-class and the rules and points system are the same as for the Intercontinental Cup. The current teams in the Intercontinental Shield are Bermuda, Namibia, Uganda and United Arab Emirates. In December 2010 after the end of the Intercontinental Shield the ICC announced that it would be scrapping the Shield competition and returning to the 8 team Intercontinental Cup format of the 2007–08 season.[9]

Complete up to the 2010 final between the UAE and Namibia.

Team TP TW M W L D Win%
 Namibia 114310 75.0%
 United Arab Emirates 1 4211 62.5%
 Uganda 1 311150.0%
 Bermuda 1 30300.0%

Key: TP/TW=Tournaments participated/won, M=Matches played, W/L/D=wins/losses/draws, Win%=percentage of games won, a draw counts as half of a win.

Records and statistics

Team records

Highest totals
Team Total Opponent Year
 Namibia 630/7  Kenya 2012
 Bermuda 620  Netherlands 2006
 Namibia 609  Uganda 2010
 Zimbabwe XI 590  Ireland 2010
 Ireland 589/7  UAE 2013

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 3 June 2015.

Lowest totals
Team Total Opponent Year
 Bermuda 56  UAE 2010
 Ireland 69  Namibia 2008
 Ireland 75  Kenya 2012
 UAE 76    Nepal 2005
 Canada 79  Scotland 2008
 UAE  Namibia 2010

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 3 June 2015.

Largest winning margins
Team Margin Opponent Year
 Canada innings and 228 runs  UAE 2007
 Namibia innings and 185 runs  Bermuda 2010
 Ireland innings and 170 runs  UAE 2007
 Scotland innings and 165 runs  Canada 2008
 Namibia innings and 149 runs  UAE 2006

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 3 June 2015.

Individual records

Most runs
Player Team Span Mat Inns Runs Avg Highest 100s 50s
Steve Tikolo  Kenya 2004–2010 19 32 1,918 63.93 220 6 7
Arshad Ali  UAE 2004–2013 24 46 1,756 39.90 185 4 9
Khurram Khan  UAE 2004–2015 24 43 1,730 43.25 121* 4 10
Saqib Ali  UAE 2006–2015 18 34 1,620 54.00 195 6 6
Gerrie Snyman  Namibia 2004–2015 22 40 1,588 48.12 230 2 8

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 27 October 2015.

Highest scores
Player Score Team Opponent Year
Ryan ten Doeschate 259*  Netherlands  Canada 2006
David Hemp 247*  Bermuda  Netherlands 2006
Ed Joyce 231  Ireland  UAE 2015
Gerrie Snyman 230  Namibia  Kenya 2008
Steve Tikolo 220  Kenya  Bermuda 2005

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 3 June 2015.

Highest partnerships
Runs Players For Against Year
1st 374 Raymond van Schoor & Ewald Steenkamp  Namibia  Bermuda 2010
2nd 326 William Porterfield & Ed Joyce  Ireland  Namibia 2015
3rd 360 Eoin Morgan & Andre Botha  Ireland  UAE 2007
4th 267 Steve Tikolo & Hitesh Modi  Kenya  Ireland 2005
5th 214* Kevin O'Brien & Andrew White  Ireland  Kenya 2008
6th 234 Andre Botha & Alex Cusack  Ireland  Scotland 2007
7th 219 David Hemp & Saleem Mukuddem  Bermuda  Netherlands 2006
8th 161 Vusi Sibanda & Regis Chakabva  Zimbabwe XI  Kenya 2009
9th 180 Sunil Dhaniram & Kevin Sandher  Canada  UAE 2007
10th 71 Khurram Chohan & Hiral Patel  Canada  Afghanistan 2010

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 27 October 2015.

Most wickets
Player Team Span Mat Overs Wkts Avg Best 5 10
Trent Johnston  Ireland 2004–2013 25 577.1 91 16.35 6/23 3 0
Umar Bhatti  Canada 2004–2010 18 491.0 78 20.56 8/40 7 2
Hiren Varaiya  Kenya 2006–2013 18 566.4 77 21.66 6/22 7 2
Louis Klazinga  Namibia 2006–2013 18 491.4 74 21.14 5/20 3 0
Dwayne Leverock  Bermuda 2004–2008 15 685.5 71 26.47 7/57 6 2

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 3 June 2015.

Best bowling figures
Player Figures Team Opponent Year
Ali Asad 9/74  UAE    Nepal 2004
John Davison 9/76  Canada  United States 2004
Ian van Zyl 8/34  Namibia  Ireland 2006
Umar Bhatti 8/40  Canada  Bermuda 2005
John Davison 8/61  Canada  United States 2004

Source: ESPNcricinfo. Last updated 3 June 2015.

References

External links

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